Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook

This cookbook is so special to me. When I wrote it Eating in the Middle, of course I wanted to share all of these delicious recipes that I’d been force-feeding Sabrina for a year, but also, I wanted the book to serve as this very real reflection of my relationship with food: balance. I wanted it to have some of that same openness about food and weight that It Was Me All Along had, so it does–in 5 essays.

Balance looks and feels different for each of us, but for me, it’s about living a full, vibrant life where no food is off the table. I love kale, green juices, hemp seeds, and I believe in eating a giant salad once a day, but I just can’t live feeling deprived. I can’t even bear to imagine a world where doughnuts are a non-option.

The style of eating that I practice day-in and day-out keeps me sane and feeling good, but better than that, it keeps me happy.

For anyone who has struggled with food or weight, you know what I mean when I say, health and happiness can seem mutually exclusive. It only took me 30 years to realize, they’re not. They don’t have to be.

Since the first diet I ever went on, in the eighth grade, I spent years swinging between two extremes: restriction and overeating; between being “good” and being “bad;” between being on the wagon and eating healthy, and being off the wagon and eating everything in sight. It was exhausting, of course. Painful, God yes. But when you live in a stark, black-and-white world like this, where there’s only ever success OR failure, and no safety net to catch you if you should fall somewhere in between, you think the only thing to do is to keep swinging. And the harder you diet, the harder you crash into a binge inevitably.

In struggling with overeating for so long, I thought, If I could just get rid of the swings toward overeating–if I could just get rid of the temptations, the sweets, the junk—THEN I could finally get a handle on my weight. If only I could JUST eat healthy all the time.

Was it the overeating that was the problem, though? Or was it the restriction?

After too many failed diets and double that of binges–all of which caused me to gain more and more–I started to realize that the ‘healthy’ thing to do, and ultimately what led me to the stablest, happiest, best weight for me–was to get the hell off the swing.

It didn’t happen overnight. So many of us become conditioned to that all-or-nothing behavior—so much so that at a certain point, it almost feels easier to go on a 3-day juice cleanse than to try to “eat moderately.” It was worth it to try. I wanted to be happy as much as I wanted to be healthy, and truth be told, I wasn’t really either. I didn’t think I could maintain my weight without white-knuckling it on a diet (and that felt like a prison sentence) but I also didn’t feel safe enough to let go of that diet, out of fear that I’d eat nonstop for the rest of my life once I gave myself the freedom.

There had to be a middle ground.

Slowly, I made room for more regular indulgences. And the more foods I freed from labels of “good” and “bad,” the less I labeled myself, and the less likely I was to binge on those foods. The more I gave myself permission to eat rich foods when I wanted them, the less I found myself overeating them, because I developed a trust that I could have them again.

It was working. I felt better, saner, healthier, and happier.

This book, and the way it breaks down into mostly wholesome with a sprinkling of decadence, is exactly how I live my life. It’s balance. It’s the testament to a life well-lived, with plenty of real, whole foods and some life-changing chocolate hazelnut bread pudding thrown in there, too.

For those of us who struggle or have struggled with eating or weight, the ultimate work is finding a way to mend our relationships with food. This book can’t heal your relationship, but it can certainly read as a love story of balance. If I’ve learned one thing in these 30 years, it’s that you can be healthy, happy, and feel good while eating food that you crave.

Details!

I will be posting more about the cookbook in the coming weeks leading up to the release, with some amazing ways YOU can cook with me, find your own healthy relationship with food and eating, and so much more. I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. I love you.

Thank you to these incredible women for their beautiful and kind words of praise about Eating in the Middle!

“This book has exactly the kinds of foods I love—healthy, wholesome dishes you won’t believe are light, and a few decadent treats sprinkled in for those special occasions, because let’s be realistic, isn’t that what life’s about? Eating in the Middle is about balance, not about depravation. I adore Andie, and I can’t wait to dig in to that Peanut Butter Mousse Pie!”

“Most every woman, at some point in her life, is able to relate to Andie’s struggle with weight and food. Therefore, many will find something in this book, whether it’s comforting advice or a satisfying meal. Eating in the Middle provides any level of cook with recipes that nourish the body while satisfying the taste buds—a difficult feat, which Andie masters flawlessly! Her stories are beautifully written and echo the inspiring mantras of her bestselling memoir. This cookbook will make you fall in love with food all over again, in a balanced, mostly wholesome way.”

“This girl is not only a storyteller, but man, is she a chef. She knows what she is doing in the kitchen and she knows how to string words together in such a beautiful way to express herself and send her message directly to her readers’ hearts. I can’t think of anyone better suited to write a cookbook, and I hope there are many more where this came from. I credit Andie for reigniting my passion for cooking after my own eating disorder struggle. Thank you, Andie, for being a sensation and an inspiration.”

“With Eating in the Middle, Andie is squashing the all-or-nothing dieting attitude one recipe at a time. You can feel her vibrant and genuine spirit in each word. In fact, Andie is your best friend on this journey with you. I’ve never seen a cookbook celebrate a realistic, healthful lifestyle (with the occasionally indulgence!) as well as Eating in the Middle. Fabulous!”

“Anyone who is or wants to be a mindful eater will treasure Eating in the Middle, as moderation has never been more approachable and satisfying. Those who loved Andie’s memoir, It Was Me All Along, will be thrilled that she’s back with another work as honest as it is delicious.”

“As someone who has obsessed over food my whole life, in both positive and challenging ways, I felt that reading Andie’s words was like hearing the voice inside of my head. I’m sure I’m not the only one to feel that way. Once again, just like she did in her moving memoir, Andie gives us so much. Not only are there recipes that will make you want to get in the kitchen immediately, there’s that honest and vulnerable voice that makes us feel less alone in the struggle to maintain healthy relationships with both food and ourselves.”

“I love Andie’s healthy approach to healthy eating. Stressing over what to eat can be just as bad for our health as eating poorly, but she definitely strikes the right balance in Eating in the Middle.”

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41 thoughts on “Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook”

I actually am emotional. Blame it on PMS or blame it on my total admiration of you, but I am. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book. I just love your approach to food and finding the balance between health and indulgence. It’s a beautiful cover and an awesome title. Congratulations on seeing the fruits of all your labor!

Wooooo-hooooo! I have pre-ordered two! So very excited. The title of the book is exceptional – really is! Because “eating in the middle” is all about balance with food. No deprivation, no boring foods but yet recipes that will knock your socks off! I am counting down the days until March 29th! Thank you Andie for this. You are a Rock Star.

Ahhh! I can’t wait! I am still in the middle of that struggle and your recipes help me learn to enjoy healthy things more while not completely giving up all the really delicious (mostly unhealthy) things. Striving for balance. Can’t wait to buy your cookbook! I know it will be wonderful!

Just last week, I was thinking about ” I wonder when she’s going to have her own cookbook..that would be so nice” and today I found the announcement on my Facebook page. This is awesome Andie! Your story is so inspiring and your recipes are very good! I can’t wait to get my pre-ordered book from Amazon!

Just pre-ordered and CANNOT WAIT to get this! Your memoir is so inspiring to me. I have read once and listened to it once. I plan on reading it again too. It helps me so much to stay on track. Thank you so much for all that you do!

I preordered a month ago and can’t wait! Andie, your outlook on food and life just makes SENSE. Can someone really be healthy (inside and out) without balance? Doesn’t seem likely. I’ve been looking for my own answers to find health and happiness for so long, and when I found them, I also found you :) Thank you again!

I’ve struggled a lot with food over the years. I’ve never really binged, per se, but food has always been this celebration to me. It’s how I show love, and it’s how I work through emotions. I have food for sad times, food for happy times, food for seasons, and everything in between. A couple of years ago, I had a major health problem that changed my relationship with food pretty significantly. I got a wake-up call that my body was different. I couldn’t digest high amounts of fat anymore. Coffee and alcohol had to be a rare indulgence. Even healthy things like cruciferous veggies had to be eaten cooked, not raw. I had to up my fiber intake and eat really good quality food. Mostly because my body just wasn’t doing a great job at processing things. I went Paleo. I went gluten-free. I tried to get rid of dairy. And failed miserably. I wasn’t binging, but I was cheating ALL THE TIME. I hated life. I hated myself. I hated the healthy foods I normally embraced. Everything was good and bad. I felt like an addict. My roommate didn’t help as he had changed his eating and was very judgmental–not understanding why I had such a hard time just sticking to a plan. And I was gaining weight–no matter how healthy I tried to be. It just wouldn’t stop. It made me angry and resentful.

This year, we decided to move to San Francisco, so my roommate left to go find us an apartment while I stayed to pack us up and take care of our cats. I’ve lived alone most of this year, and we’re not moving until April–which will be a full year since he left. He comes home only occasionally to help out. When he left, I decided I was done being a slave to food. I was going to eat whatever I wanted. I told him I needed him to stop policing me and to stop telling me what he thought about what I put in my body. I needed to do this alone, and his help was just pressure I didn’t need. He, thankfully, stopped. He was really only trying to help, but even I didn’t know what I needed–so how could he?

There were a few ugly weeks where I ate a lot of sweets and junk. But once I got that out of my system, something great happened. I naturally started choosing the things that made me feel better. I didn’t have to police myself or put a label on what I was eating. I made sure I had healthy sweet options during the week and made sure I had solid choices that were easy–so I would be less inclined to eat crap. But if I wanted to order pizza, I ordered pizza. I made sure they put tons of veggies on it, but it was fine. On weekends, I planned to eat less healthy–but usually ate better–even if I went out. I’ve been steadily losing weight ever since, and I feel so much more sane.

I was on amazon.com yesterday and it said “based on your recent purchases” and I just gave away your last book as a giveaway a couple weeks ago, I saw your new cookbook and I nearly peed my pants!

So happy and excited for you, and it’s exactly how I’ve lived my life these last few weeks. I finally ditched my wine, I know drinking every night will not bring my husband back to life, and I am finally seeing the light through the fog I’ve been in since he died.

That being said – I will never give up Party Pizza Friday because it makes me happy, but I now follow it up with 75 minutes of hot yoga the next day so it does all balance out.

This is now at the top of my wish list! What you said above is how I’ve been approaching my own eating/lifestyle this year. It has been hard, but there are moments I can see it is worth it because of how much happier I am around food, especially when I find I’m not labeling it!

Hi Andie –
Your book was so honest and powerful – absolutely loved it ! Are you doing any promotional events in NY/NJ area for your book? I would take a cooking class from you or come to a book signing in a heartbeat!
Completely loved your TED talk as well

I’m so excited for this cookbook & more inspiring, honest words from Andie’s huge, generous heart! I loved the book, I love the blog & I’m sure I”m going to love this cookbook! Whenever I see your words, I feel hopeful that I will get to this place of peace as well. Keep on writing, Andie! XO

Your story is truly inspirational, the truth about weight loss is that it has to happen slowly over a long period of time in order to make it permanent. Thanks for helping to share with so many others who didn’t know the truth.